CHAMBER MEMBERSHIP BLITZ PLANNED TUESDAY

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce will seek new members this month.

Sixty new members is the goal when the chamber kicks off its annual one-day membership blitz early Tuesday.

The goal is set each year based on membership, said Linda Minner, special projects director for the chamber.

"Our goal is to sign at least five percent of the current membership," she said.

The chamber's membership stands at more than 1,150, No. 1 in its population category of 50,000, and No. 4 overall in the state. Only the Greater Kansas City, St. Louis and Springfield chambers have more members.

The membership blitz begins with a 7:30 a.m. breakfast at Drury Lodge Tuesday.

Co-chairmen for the 1998 campaign are Ross Austin, Interim Personnel, and Allen Phillips, Prudential Insurance and Financial Services.

"Partnerships for Today & Tomorrow" is the theme for this year's membership blitz.

Membership teams will receive recruiting packets following the breakfast. Any member of the chamber may participate in the drive.

A year ago, the blitz netted 80 new members.

Over the past decade, the local chamber has ranged in membership from 1,022 in 1987 to a high of 1,230 in 1995.

These figures are more than double the chamber membership 25 years ago -- 571 members in 1972.

The overall goal of the chamber is to keep the membership between 1,100 and 1,200.

The campaign will end about 4 p.m. Tuesday, with volunteer recruiting teams reporting in at the Drury Lodge.